Apparatus for dividing the carcasses of hogs and other animals.



` No.797,220. PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. H. PRATT.

APPARATUS FOB. DIVIDING THE GARCASSES OF HUGS AND OTHER ANIMALS.l

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 12, 1904.

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l No. 791,220.

H. PRATT. APPARATUS TOR DTVIDING THB CARCASSES O15l HUGS AND OTHER ANIMALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l2, 1904.

PATENTED AUG. l5, 1905.

C@ f5? MK 75 f No. 797,220. PATBNTED AUG. 15, 1905. H. PRATT.

APPARATUS POR DIVIDING THE CARCASSBS OP HUGS AND OTHER ANMALS.

' APPLICATION HLED nu 12, 1904.

s SHEETS-SHBBT 3.

UNITE ST iiras PATENT onirica.

Speccation of Letters llEatent.

Patented Aug. l5, 1905.

Application tiled May l2, 1904:. Serial No. 207,601'.

To roll whom, it muy concern:

Beit known that l, HARRY PRATT, a citizen oi' the United States, and a resident of Kenilworth, in the county ot' Cook and State of Illinois, baveinvented certain new and useful lmprovements in Al'iparatus for Dividing the Careasses of Hogs and other Animals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part oi' this specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cutting or dividing into two parts or halves the carcasses of hogs, sheep, and like animals during the process of butchering; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

An apparatus embodying my invention embraces, in general terms, in combination with the usual continuous-traveling trolley apparatus ior carrying the carcasses of the animals from place to place in the slaughterhouse,a supplemental con veyer, which receives the carcasses from the main conveyor ot the trolley apparatus and carries the carcasses, while hanging vertically, upwardly past a stationary cutting mechanism provided with a suitable cutting-knife and which is located in such relation to the supplemental conveyor that the cutting-knife or cleaver acts upon the carcasses while the latter are passing through the vertical part of said conveyer. tially-divided carcasses are thereafter disposed of in any other suitable maimer----as, for instance, a third or discharging conveyer maybe employed to receive the same lrom the supplemental conveyer. As herein shown the apparatus is so organized that the carcasses travel from the beginning to the end of their route over a continuous track while suspended from suitable hangers. T he said track constitutes in some parts thereof the support ior the carcasses, while in other parts it constitutes merely a guide for the hangers by which the carcasses are suspended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of Van apparatus embodying my invention. FiO. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation ot' the cutting mechanism and associated parts. Fig. t is aside elevation of the cutting-knit'e and its carrier removed Vfrom the other parts. Fig. 5 is a side elevation oit one of the hooks oit' the supplemental conveyor which engages the gambrel-sticks upon which car- The parcasses are suspended in a manner to support the same. Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail oil one oiI the carcass-hangers. Figs. R, 9, and l0 illustrate a yielding' construction in the guiding and supporting' track, whereby it automatically conforms to the supplemental conveyor, Fig. 9 being taken on line9 9 of Fig. 8 and Fig. l() being taken 4on line l0 l() of Fig. 8.

As shown in the drawings, A designates a horizontal track, and B B designate a plurality oi hangers having' wheels L, which restand roll on the track. Said hangcrsarc provided at their lower ends with hooks b3, which engage loops or bails c, allixed to the gambrelsticks C, by which the carcasses are suspended. Said carcasses thus suspended are carried forwardly on the track A by means of an endless conveyer A', which is trained about suitable pulleys A2 (one of which is shown) and provided with arms A, which are adapted to engage the hangers B in a manner to carry the same forwardly. Said trolley device is supported from the ceiling r. 0 oil: the room containing the apparatus, and, as herein shown, the upper lap of the conveyor is located above the ceiling.

.D D designate the two endless chains or belts of a supplemental conveyer, which are trained about upper and lower pairs of sprocket-pulleys Z el cl2. Y Said supplemental con veyer extends upwardly through a suitable opening in the ceiling A1 and is located 4partly in a lower and partly in an upper room. lfhe pairs of sprocket-pulleys d il are .located in substantial horizontal alinement with each other. The sprocket-wheels d are rotatively mounted on short sha't'ts di", that are supported in laterally-separated lbrackets d2", depending 'from the ceiling A1". 'lwo short shafts are employed to permit the carcasses to pass between said pulleys, as will .hereinafter appear. The brackets d are braced by other brackets (Z3, Fig. l. The sprockets Z2 are mounted on a continuous shaft r-Z", `that extends between and mounted inthe lower ends of brackets di, lepending 'from the ceiling A2". The stub-shafts Zs of the upper sprocket-pulleys Z are mounted in the lower ends ot' brackets d, which are braced by brackets d?, said parts being made like the brackets (.Z (Z3 and attached to the ceiling A oi the upper room, as shown in Fig. 2.

Those parts ol the pair ot` belts or chains D l) of the supplemental conveyer between the pulleys d Z are partially horizontal and partly vertical, while the parts between the pulleys d and (Z2 are shown as downwardly inclined, and the parts between the pulleys Z2 and (Z are horizontal. The disposition of the latter two parts of the conveyer is not important. The short horizontal portions of the conveyer above the pulley d travel beneath and parallel with the track A and from thence travel vertically to the upper sprocketpulleys (Z, and while being carried upwardly by said vertical parts of the conveyer the carcasses are carried past a cutting mechanism, (designated as a whole by the letter X in Figs. 1 and 2 and shown in detail in Figs. 3 and il.) The said horizontal and vertical parts of the supplemental conveyers are joined by curved parts and are guided in suitable guides E, consisting of horizontal and vertical parts e e. The said guides E are provided with dovetail grooves, and the links di, constituting the supplemental conveyers, are shaped to interlit with said guide, as shown in Fig 6, thereby preventing the links being laterally disengaged from the guides.

The track A is continued vertically to constitute a vertical part Ai, which is located between and parallel with the Vertical parts of the supplemental conveyer, and a curved part A5, which is curved above the upper sprocketpulley (Z. From thence said track is directed obliquely downwardly to constitute an inclined portion A and thence horizontally beneath the ceiling Aw to constitute a horizontal track to direct the carcasses away from the cuttingmechanism. It will thus be seen that the track engaged by traveling hangers B and comprising the horizontal end parts A A7 and intermediate vertical and inclined parts A4 A, connected by the curved part A5, eX- tends continuously from one end of the organized apparatus to the other. As will hereinafter appear, the horizontal and inclined parts of the tracks constitute supports for the traveling' carcasses, while the vertical and curved parts constitute guides for the hangers to maintain the hangers engaged with the tracks while the weight is taken by the conveyers.

The endless chains D D of the supplemental conveyer are provided with oppositely-located carrying-hooks du, (shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 5, and (5,) which, as herein shown, are formed integral with certain of the links (Zw of the chains of the supplemental conveyer-s. Said hooks open forwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the conveyer-chains. In the short horizontal part of the supplemental conveyer beneath and parallel with the horizontal part of the track A, as shown in Fig. l, the said hooks (Zu are located in the horizontal plane of the ends of the gambrel-sticks C, and said sticks project from the hocks of the legs of the carcasses a sufficient distance (in a familiar manner) to become engaged with said hooks. Vilith this construction and arrangement the hooks c u engage the eX'- tended ends of the gambrel-sticks while the carcass is supported on the horizontal part of the track A, after which the carcassesare advanced or carried forwardly by the supplemental conveyer. The arrangement whereby the hooks Zu engage with the grambrel-sticks while the carcasses are supported on the track A constitutes a transferring mechanism whereby the carcasses are transferred from the main conveyer to the horizontal conveyer, and so far as the broader aspects of my invention are concerned such transfer mechanism may be otherwise constructed. While the carcasses are being carried upwardly by the vertical part of the supplemental conveyer and around the pulleys d the hangers are engaged with the vertical and curved parts A'l A5 of thevtrack, said parts of the track holding the hangers in proper position to again support the carcasses after they have passed the upper curved parts of the supplemental conveyer. After the carcasses have passed the cutting mechanism and have been carried over the pulleys (Z of the su p plemental conveyer they are directed downwardly over the inclined and horizontal parts AA7 of the track by means of an endless discharge-conveyer consisting of a single chain or belt F, trained over pulleys ff', (two of which are shown.) Between thepulleysfand f" the conveyer travels parallel with and above the inclined part of the track A, and beyond the pulley f travels parallel with and above the horizontal portion A7 ofthe track. Said conveyer is provided at suitable intervals with a number of pairs of coacting arms fgf, eX- tending at right angles to the conveyer. Said arms are so spaced on the conveyer F and the conveyer so timed with respect to the supplemental conveyer that as each hanger (supporting a carcass) passes the curved part A5 of the track and is entering on the inclined part A thereof the wheel of said hanger enters between one pair of arms f2f3. The advance arm of each pair acts to hold or restrain the weight of the carcass while the carcass is traveling down said incline, the carcass traveling only as fast as the dischargeconveyer is traveling. After said carcass has reached the horizontal part AT of the track it is advanced or carried forwardly thereon by contact of the rear arm f2 with the trolley-hanger.

ln order that there shall be no binding of the hangers as they pass from the horizontal part A to the vertical part A* of the track and in order also to prevent the hooks of the hangers from becoming disengaged from the bails of the gambrel-sticks, the lower end of said vertical part of the track is shown as made yielding by means tending to cause it to spring away from the vertical parts of the supplemental conveyer, while permitting it to yield toward said conveyer.

The construction whereby the track yields in the manner described is made as follows: The vertical part A* of the track is connected with the curved part Af thereof by a hinge e, Fig. 2, and is connected at its lower end with the horizontal part A of the track by a spring'- joint which permits said lower end of the part A4 of the track to yield toward the vertical parts of the supplemental conveyor. A convenient form of spring-joint is shown in Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive, and is made as follows: The end a of the horizontal portion A of the track is provided with asocket which is open at its upper side, and the lower laterally-turned part a3 of the vertical portion A of the track is provided with a reduced guide extension which enters and slides endwise in said socket. Said parts are drawn together by means of a spiral contractile spring' a5, it being attached to the end of the guide projection a" and to the bottom of the socket in any suitable manner. 1f, therefore, by reason of slig'htinaccuracics in makingor assembling the apparatus the track should not be parallel or otherwise properly related to the supplemental conveyor, but tends through endwise pull on the hanger to bind the moving' parts or to loosen the endwise stress on the hangers in a manner tending` to disengage the hook of the hanger with the bail or loop of the gambrel-stick, the vertical part of the track will yield suiiiciently in either direction to counteract such tendency.

The hangers are constructed to closely grip `the track at a time when said track serves merely as a guide for said hanger. The construction of the hangers is shown in F ig'. 7 and is made as follows: The wheel b of each hanger is rotatively mounted on a short transverse pin Z1, that extends between the yokearms at one end of the shank /i of said hanger. The hooks 3, by which the hanger-Shanks are attached to the bails of the gambrel-sticks, are attached to laterally-turnelil ends 7;" of said shanks. The wheels are pressed in close engagement with the track by means of springpressed shoes d5, attached to the ends of endwise-movable rods b, which slide in guideopenings in lugs L7 on the shanks of the hanger. The shoe of each hanger is pressed against said track by means of a spring` L, interposed between one ofthe lugs and said shoe.

The cutting mechanism, which is designated in Figs. land 2 as a whole by the referenceletter X and is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4C, is made generally like the cutting' mechanism shown in my pending' application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 206,372, iilcd on the L1th day of May, 1904. rlhe cutter consists, as shown in Fig. a, of a reciprocating knife G, attached to one end of the rod of a piston J, which reciprocates in a cylinder Gr', which may be the cylinder of a pneumatic or steam engine. Said cylinder G is pivotally supported on a lug' it,

extending forwardly from the forward end of a cylindric carrier H, which latter is mounted in a suitable laterally-adjustable carriage l, that is supported in a frame J. Said frame .l is immovably ixed to the vertical parts of the guides E forY the supplemental conveyors by means of brackets y'. The cylinder G", is adapted to be adjusted on its pivotal support to change the angle of the knife to the carcass by means of a lever l-l, Figs. 3 and 4, which is pivoted to a stud i, extending rearwardly from said carrier H and connected at its upper end with the upper end of the cylinder Gf by a connecting-rod H2, that extends through au openingin said cylindric carrier H. Said lever H is provided with a pawl 71,, which engages a segmental rack la, attached to the cylindric carrier Iii, whereby the lever and cylinder are locked in an adjusted position. Said carrier H is adapted to be adjusted toward and from the cutter by means of a lever K, which is pivoted at its upper end to a lug on the carriage l and has slotted connection between its ends with said carrier and is provided at its lower end with a spring'- pressed latch or pawl K, that engages a seg'- mental locking-rack i, ailixedV to the carriage l, whereby the carrier H is locked in any adjusted position as desired. The carriage is adjusted laterally in the frame J by means of a rotating pinion L, that is affixed to a shaft L, provided with a crank Z, by which the pinion is turned, and said pinion engages a rack 7i on a lower edge of the carriage I. The cylindric carrier H is also adapted to be rotated on its axis by means of a worm M, formed on a rotative shaft MQ that has Vbearing in suitable lugs on the carrier l, and said worm meshes with suitable gear-teeth /13 ou the lower periphery of the cylindric carrier. The shaft M is provided with a crank m, by which it is turned. These various adjusting' devices are similar to the adjusting' devices shown in the cutting mechanism of my prior application and are for the purpose of adjusting the cutting-knife to carcasses which may be presented to the cutting.;l mechanism out of accurate cutting relation thereto.

The operation of my apparatus will be understood from the foregoing', it being' understood that the carcasses are continuously delivered by the main horizontal conveying mechanism to the supplemental conveying mechanism and is by the latter carried vertically past the cutting' mechanism and partially severed or divided and are thereafter discharged from the aj'iparatus by the discharging conveyer. l't will be noted from inspection of Fig. l of the drawings that the track A. is offset at the base of the vertical part A" therco f, such offset being provided to bring theA track out of line with the cutting'- knife, and thereby prevent the knife coming' in contact with the track.

lt is obvious that many of the structural details of my invention may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and l do notwish to be limited thereto, except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

l claim as my invention-- l. In a machine for the purpose sct forth, the combination witl vertically, movable conveyer comprising i .vo parallel conveyerbelts provided with a plurality of pairs of hooks adapted to receive the ends of the gambrel-sticks by which the carcasses are suspended, of a stationary cutting mechanism located adjacent to said conveyer, said couveyer carrying the carcass vertically past the cutting mechanism whereby it is cut or severed while being carried by said conveyer past the cutting mechanism, and horizontal conveyers for delivering the carcasses to and receiving' them from the vertical conveyer.

2. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising, in combination with a main horizontal conveyer for the carcasses, gambrelsticks supported on and advanced by said horizontal conveyer, an upright supplemental conveyer embracing` two parallel conveyer-belts provided with hooks or the like adapted to receive the ends of the gambrel-sticks, said hooks of the supplemental conveyer automatically receiving the ends of the gambrel-sticks whereby the carcasses are transferred to the supplemental conveyer, and a stationary cutting mechanism adjacent to the upright parts of the supplemental conveyer and operating to cut or divide the carcasses as they are carried upwardly by said upright parts of the supplemental conveyer past said cutting mechanism.

3. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising, in combination with a main horizontal, continuously-movable conveyer, its track and hangers traveling on said track from which carcasses are suspended, a supplemental conveyer comprising two endless, laterallyseparated parallel belts which travel vertically for a portion of their lengths, said track being continued upwardly parallel with the vertical portion of said supplemental conveyer, means on the supplemental conveyer for receiving' the carcasses whereby they are carried upwardly by the vertical part of said supplementalconveyer, and a stationary cutting' mechanism located adjacent to said vertical part of the conveyer for cutting the carcasses as they are carried upwardly past the same.

4. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising, in combination with a horizontal continuously-movable conveyer, its horizontal track, hangers traveling on said track, each adapted to support a gambrel-stick, a supplemental conveyer comprising two parallel conveyer-belts which travel vertically in a portion of their length, said track being continued upwardly parallel with the vertical portion of said supplemental conveyer, means on the l supplemental conveyer for engaging at the lower end of the vertically-traveling part thereof a gambrel-stick whereby carcasses are transferred to and carried upwardly by the vertically-movable part of said supplemental conveyer, and a stationary cutting mechanism located adjacent to said vertical part of the conveyer for cutting' the carcasses as they are carried upwardly past the same, said vertical continuation of the track being yieldingly connected with the horizontal part of the track.

5. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising', in combination with a horizontal, continuously-movable conveyer its horizontal track, hangers traveling on said track, each adapted to support a gambrel-stick, a supplemental conveyer comprising' two parallel conveyer-belts, a portion-of which travels vertically, said track being continued upwardly parallel with the vertical portion of said supplemental conveyer, means on the supplemental conveyer for engaging at the lower end of the vertically-traveling' part thereof for a g'ambrel-stick, whereby the carcasses are transferred to and carried upwardly by the vertical part Vof said supplemental conveyer, and a stationary cutting mechanism located adjacent to the vertically-traveling part of the conveyer for cutting the carcasses as they are carried upwardly past the same, said vertical continuation of the track being' hinged at its upper end and being connected at its lower end with the horizontal part of the track by a yielding joint permitting it to be yieldingly moved toward the supplemental conveyer.

6. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising, in combination with a continuously-movable, horizontal conveyer, its track, a plurality of hangers moving on said track, each adapted to support a gambrel-stick, a supplemental conveyer comprising parallel endless belts, a portion of which travel horizontally parallel with said track, and a portion of which travel vertically, said track being' provided with a vertical extension parallel with the vertical part of said supplemental conveyer, and oppositely-located hooks on the said conveyer-belts adapted to engage the ends of a gambrel-stick projecting from a carcass for transferring the same from said horizontal conveyer and track to the vertical part of the supplemental conveyer and suspending them on the latter and cutting mechanism adjacent to said vertical part of the conveyer for cutting the carcasses as they are carried upwardly past the same.

7. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising, in combination with a continuously-movable, horizontal conveyer, its track and a plurality of hangers moving on said track each adapted to support a gambrel-stick, a supplemental conveyer comprising parallel endless belts, a portion of which travels horizontally parallel with said track, and a portion of which travels vertically, said track i being' provided with a vertical extension parallel with the vertical part of said supplemental conveyer, means on the said conveyerhelts adapted to engage a gambrel-stick for transferring the carcasses from Said horizontal conveyer and track to the vertical part oiE the supplemental conveyer and the vertical track, a cutting,- mechanism adjacent to the vertical part of said supplemental conveyer for cutting' or dividingg` the carcasses as they are moved vertically past the same, a dischargeconveyer and means located at the ripper end of the vertical part oll the supl'ilemental conveyer for transferring the carcasses `from the upper part of said supplemental conveyer to the discharge-conveyer.

8. A machine lor the purpose set lorth comprising', in combination with a continuouslymovable, main horizontal conveyer, its track, and a plurality of hangers each adapted to support a gamhrel-stick, ol a sulriplemental conveyer embracing` a horizontal part which travels parallel with the horizontal conveyer, and a vertical traveling part, means for transferrinp,l the carcasses from the horizontal conveyer to the horizontal part of the supplemental conveyer, a stationary cutting mechanism located in position forcutting or dividing` the carcasses as they are carried upwardly past the same by the vertically-movingl part of the conveyer, and a discharge-conveyer for receiving,` the carcasses after they have passed the cutting mechanism, said track of the horizontal conveyer being' provided with a vertical extension parallel with the vertical part ol the supplemental conveyer and thence inclined downwardly parallel with the discharge-conveyer, thereby constitutingI a continuous track 'tor the hang-ers as they pass through the apparatus.

9. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising', in combination with a continuouslymovable, main horizontal conveyer, its track, and a plurality ol hangers each adapted to support a gamlrrel-stick, of a supplemental conveyer emh: icing a horizontal part which travels parallel with the horizontal conveyer, and a vertical traveling part, means lor transferringl the carcasses from the horizontal conveyer to the horizontal part ot' the supplemental conveyer, a stationary cutting1 mechanism located in position Alor cuttingor dividingi the carcasses as they are carried upwardly past the same by the vertically-moving part ot' the conveyer, and a discharge-eonveyer for receivingthe carcasses alter they have passed the cutting,` mechanism, said track ol the horizontal conveyer being,l provided with a vertical extension parallel with the vertical part oi the supplemental conveyer and thence inclined downwardly parallel with the discharge-conveyer, thereby constituting' a continuous track for the hangers or' the carcasses passing through the apparatus, said dischargecon veycr havingI arms which engage the hangers while traveling on the inclined part ol the track to retard the movement thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing,` as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 7 th day of May, A. D. 1904.

HARRY PRAlT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, Gr na'raUDn Bjavon. 

